Bryan woman sheds 120 pounds, Chases Law Enforcement Dream

4/11/2008 12:00 AM

For years she's watched from the sidelines. A Bryan women's weight stood in the way of her dream. Now, after huge personal sacrifices, surgery and unbelievable weight loss, she's ready to live out her childhood goal.

"I have always wanted to be in law enforcement but I was never physically able to do so, until now," Police Recruit Georgia Maher said.

To look at her now, it's hard to believe that Georgia Maher ever topped the scales at 283 pounds. That weight literally weighed her down for years keeping her from fulfilling one of her biggest dreams, becoming a police officer.

Maher says the demands of the job: cardiovascular endurance, running, pull-ups, push-ups, upper-body strength, were near impossible when she was at that weight.

But now 120 pounds lighter, Gastric Bypass surgery has given Georgia a second hold on life.

"I decided there's nothing holding me back now," Maher said. "I want to go do what I always wanted to do. I'm going to be a police officer."

Georgia is now chasing down not only her career, but the bad guys too. As a Bryan Police recruit, she's learning just what it takes to go in to the places and situations other people don't want to.

"She'll do anything you ask her to do, and give it a 100 percent effort," TEEX Police Academy Training Director Lee Santo said. "She's got the mindset that I can do it."

It's that can do attitude that's not only gotten Georgia where she is today, but is also helping her to succeed in things she once thought impossible.

"There's no way with another 120 pounds that her body could even standup to that sort of thing," Santo said.

Maher added,"When you have something as profoundly life affecting as massive weight loss like this, life number one is over." Georgia says this go around, she's not going to let anything hold her back. "It's freedom, I was imprisoned within my own body for 35 years," Maher said.

Georgia will complete her police academy training in just about two months. After that she will be patrolling the streets with the Bryan Police Department.